Getting Along
by dangstaBOI
Summary: Inspired by P5R theories of (spoiler!) Akechi being alive. All was forgiven for Akechi after they heard his story and life seemed to go on. One year later, Akechi has finally achieved a peaceful life with his friends, but the rift between him and Haru never changed. Perhaps an apology is in order. Plus, you know what they say: Better late than never
1. Chapter 1

Getting Along

Chapter 1

"I'm Sorry"

The atmosphere of Leblanc was just as he had always remembered it: the dark but oddly comforting lighting, the chatter of the TV in the background, the intoxicating smell of coffee and curry that enveloped you in warmth even on a rainy day; Akechi readily welcomed this feeling everytime he stepped into Sojiro's shop.

"Welcome to-, oh, it's you Akechi. Go on and take a seat, your usual?"

Speaking of coffee and curry, Akechi never could go a week without coming into Leblanc at least once. The genius himself was always at work behind the counter creating wonders that always topped the last batch; it was something that was not to be missed.

"Yes, I'd appreciate that, boss."

He took a seat at the counter and set his bag down next to him. Sojiro came back with a plate of curry in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other.

"So, how's the quiet life been for you?" he asked.

After taking a sip of his coffee, Akechi smiled and replied.

"A lot better than being a celebrity, I can tell you that much. I'm glad I can walk anywhere I want to without having a crowd following me."

"If I had my way, I'd appreciate it if that was the case; I'd at least be able to get in some more customers."

The two laughed for a while before resuming.

"It's hard to believe that the life I so much desired was so easy to achieve. If only I realized that sooner."

Initially, Akechi had made the decision to die fighting himself on Shido's ship in order to not hinder the Phantom Thieves any longer, but before he went through with the plan, something quite unexpected happened…

_Flashback_

*PEW*

The flood doors suddenly closed, separating Akechi from the rest of the Phantom Thieves. He turned into the direction of himself in Shido's cognition.

"Please, leave me here; I'll only hold you back. Take his heart for my sake."

There was banging on the other side of the door.

"Akechi! Hold on, we'll get you out of there!"

Akechi chuckled as he trained his crosshairs on the shadow before him.

"It's no use. You won't be able to sneak out of here without a distraction; a distraction I am more than willing to provide."

More banging on the other side. It was as if they actually cared for him. A genuine smile found its way on his face, but there was no time to waste over it now.

"Joker… no, Akira. You were my one true friend. Please, I probably won't make it out of here, so as my last request get out of here as quickly as you can. I'll alert all the guards on my end so you can make it out."

There was no reply from the other side, but Akechi was accustomed to this sort of silence from the raven-haired boy. Without another second to lose, he looked at the Akechi in front of him and pulled the trigger.

Thankfully, he shot first and was able to make the shadow stagger, thus throwing off its aim by several inches.

"Luck must be on my side today," he said to himself as he rushed past them.

He ran up the stairs and into the casino, flipping tables as he rushed past. The more of a mess he caused, the more shadows he attracted. Eventually, he ran into a dead end near the side of the boat. With nowhere to run, the shadows stopped in front of him, as if mocking him in his last moments.

His shadow approached him, this time giving him a square punch into the stomach. He keeled over, propping himself up with his hands. Akechi could hear the sound of his sword and gun being kicked aside.

"_You never did think that far into the future,"_ his shadow self said to him.

"_That is why you never expected to be betrayed in the first place."_

It cocked its pistol and pointed it straight at his head.

"That's where you're wrong… "

"_What?"_

Akechi stole a glance over to the front of the ship, seeing the rest of the Thieves getting ready to leave.

"Shido was a scumbag to me through and through; that fact has already been made apparent to me since I first met him. That's why I decided to betray him right when he was at the brink of his dreams. But now that I've been found out, I think I might as well go out with a bang."

He pulled out a detonator from his coat and held his thumb on it. His shadow self looked curiously at it.

"Where did you get that?"

"It was a trap I decided to set up for the Phantom Thieves, but they ended up taking a different route. But, I guess it serves its purpose if it can cover them for the time being."

He looked at all of the Thieves, Joker most of all.

"Let's be friends in the next life, alright Akira?"

He closed his eyes and pressed down the button on the detonator. The last thing he heard before hitting the water was the explosion and the screaming voices of his former party members.

_Flashback End_

"I'm actually surprised I had survived the blast, much less made it out of the Metaverse."

He had woken up in Dr. Takemi's clinic with several burns, multiple bone fractures, a concussion, and a punk doctor yelling at a group of teenagers. It would be a few months later that he would be discharged, so he wasn't able to help them in their final fight against Yaldabaoth, but they seemed to fare well without him.

The day he got out, everyone welcomed him back, but something just didn't seem right, especially with Haru. Futaba, thankfully, wasn't one to hold grudges, so she was peachy keen. Haru, on the other hand, had suffered the most recently, and that was all because of him, so he understood if she wasn't going to be on speaking terms for a while.

Eventually, a whole year had passed without them so much as saying "hi" during reunions with the rest of the party. There weren't a lot of opportunities to say anything to the fluffy-haired gardener in all that time, and when there were, Haru would always excuse herself from the group and leave for the rest of the day.

Akechi sighed at the thought and no longer felt any comfort in his curry. This didn't go unnoticed by Sojiro and he leaned forward.

"Still feeling sorry about what you did before?"

Akechi smiled.

"Sometimes, I wonder how Akira was able to hide the fact of being a phantom Thief from you."

Sojiro chuckled as he poured himself a cup.

"So what's got you so worried? Wakaba suffered, but Futaba's already past that now. Heck, she even considers you as an older brother like she does to Akira."

"I know, but Futaba-chan's not who I'm worried about. It's Haru."

"Ah… Now I understand… ", Sojiro said before taking a sip from his cup.

"Everytime I see her, she always avoids me. It doesn't even matter if I try to be direct, she always seems to change the subject."

Sojiro nods.

"And it's already been an entire year since then. It's been way too long for putting off an apology, I just can't help but feel even worse."

"I think I might know a way that you could talk to her."

Akechi turned around and came face-to-face with the raven-haired boy himself.

"Akira? When did you get back?"

Sojiro chuckled to himself.

"You sure are full of surprises, aren't ya kid?"

Akira laughed and scratched the back of his head. Akechi, however, turned towards him more attentively.

"What plan did you have in mind, Akira?"

Akira took a seat at the bar next to Akechi and set his bag down.

"Apparently, Haru visits her father's grave every day without fail. I heard about it from Makoto just last week and I decided to try and see it for myself."

"I see that you and Makoto-san are still in touch?"

Akira nodded.

"Even after being sent to juvie and being a year apart, we somehow made it work."

"Is Sae-san as compulsive as ever?"

"I guess you could say that; I thought she was going to kill me when she heard that Makoto and I had our first kiss"

Their chatter went on for a little while before the two decided to split.

"Well then, I guess it's time for me to get going," Akira announced.

He stood up and left the money on the table for Sojiro. Annoyed, Sojiro picked it up and went to the tip jar.

"Honestly, I've told him so many times he doesn't need to pay."

Akechi raised an eyebrow.

"Does that mean that you've got better business?"

Sojiro glared at him and put the money into the register.

"Don't you start. It's bad enough that Akira's doting on me, but if another person starts that, Futaba's never gonna let me live it down."

Akechi's phone suddenly vibrated and he picked it off the counter.

"_Way ahead of you,"_ the text read.

Sojiro sighed once more and went back into the kitchen, mumbling about getting bugs removed. Akechi, meanwhile, finished the rest of his coffee and checked the time on his phone.

"She visits her father everyday huh?"

He stood up and left some money on the table.

"Thanks Sojiro-san. Until next time."

Sojiro waved him goodbye and went back to his newspaper.

_Later…_

"So, how's your project going?" Makoto asked.

"I still need to touch it up a bit, but it should be finished by tomorrow," Haru replied to her.

After the events of the previous year, Makoto and Haru were in the process of graduating. Although they were being separated from the rest of the group, they decided that they should make the most of their time and ended up applying to the same university to be together. Despite the dates that Makoto had with Akira, they still set some time aside for some "girl talk" as they called it.

"Hm, I should get going soon," Haru said when she checked her watch.

"Are you going to go see him again?"

Haru nodded. This was her ritual every day. She'd go through the underground mall and buy some flowers, then head to the cemetery for her father. She had to admit, Kunikazu Okumura was never the best father in the world, but she could never shake off the feeling that things could have been different, should he not have suffered from a mental shutdown.

Fifteen minutes later, Haru was in front of the gate for the cemetery, a bouquet of flowers in her hands. While she made her way towards the usual headstone, she spotted a certain someone in front of it holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Hm? Is he one of father's old friends"

She walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder only for him to turn to face her.

"Oh, it seems you're here," Akechi said as he looked at her.

Haru just stood there, flabbergasted and silent. She remained this way for several seconds before regaining her composure. Then, she just turned around without another word.

"Wha- Haru-san, please wait!"

But she didn't slow down at all. If anything, she just walked faster, leaving Akechi behind. Sighing, Akechi set down his bouquet in front of Kunikazu's headstone and walked home.

_The next day…_

Haru walked into the cemetery with a new bouquet in her hands. Her eyes fell towards the young man in front of her father's headstone; this time, he was facing her, as if waiting for her to arrive. Frowning, she left once more.

_An hour later…_

"Okay, he should be gone by now," Haru said to herself.

She turned the corner and saw Akechi once again at the headstone. Sighing, she approached him. Standing next to him, she placed the bouquet, watered the stone, and clapped her hands together. Akechi did the same and they both stayed silent for several minutes. After praying, Haru turned around and headed towards the gate. However, Akechi followed.

Haru made her way to the subway and awaited the train, Akechi not lagging behind. He slightly coughed in order to get her attention, but she continued to scroll through her phone. Deciding that he wasn't going to get any acknowledgement, Akechi continued.

"Haru-san, I know that I'm probably the last person you would ever want to speak to right now, but this is a really important matter that I wanted to talk about before."

He didn't hear any response, but continued anyway.

"I never was a very sociable person when I was younger; I grew up by myself until I eventually met Shido. At first, I believed that he would be the father that he should have been, but realization dawned on me that it would never happen. I only went through with his orders in order to get close to him and the more horrifying his demands were, the more I knew I had to accomplish them. But that doesn't mean that everything I did was all Shido's fault; I'm more than equal on the blame."

He turned to face her and bowed down.

"Haru-san, I wanted to at least tell you that I am regretful of my actions; I wanted you to know that so you don't see me as a merciless coward. Please, you don't have to forgive me, but at least tell me that you acknowledge my apology."

He stayed in that position for a while until Haru spoke up.

"… Akechi-san, I could never bring myself to hate you…"

Akechi looked up, but he couldn't find Haru anywhere.

"Did I imagine her saying that?" he wondered.

Suddenly, he checked his watch.

"Oh no! The caretaker's really gonna let me have it for being late to curfew!"

He quickly ran to his train and nabbed a spot before the doors closed.

_Elsewhere…_

Haru unlocked the door to her apartment. She had decided not to live in the upscale house that was her home since childhood ever since she started college, mostly because it was a pain to commute to the university campus, but also because she wanted a place that seemed more down to Earth.

Putting her coat onto the hanger, Haru laid down on her bed and closed her eyes, rethinking the events of the day. For some reason, the scene of Akechi apologizing to her always seemed to replay, the most frequent one being when she said that she didn't hate him.

"Astarte, what should I do?"

A little known thing about Persona: they might not be able to manifest in the real world, but sometimes you can contact them in times of need. Haru believed that this was one of those moments and awaited an answer. Unfortunately, this just didn't appear to be pressing enough, making Haru sigh again and turn on her side. A picture frame on her desk showed multiple smiling faces in front of a white van. It was a picture of the group when they dropped off Akira at his hometown after his probation was lifted. Haru couldn't help but notice that Akechi was a little ways off from the rest of the group; still smiling ecstatically, but not close enough to seem like he belonged. Socializing with him was more or less awkward for the team, but they eventually welcomed him back with open arms. Sure, he had his faults, but they had their reasons for joining the Phantom Thieves. Even Haru herself had rejected them at first, believing that she could handle anything on her own. How wrong she had realized she was later on and now she got along with them all.

Akechi wasn't that different of a case; he was alone in the beginning so he grew up believing that he had to do everything himself. He never got very close to anyone until he joined the Phantom Thieves. He killed her father, but he had already proven his regret time and time again. Honestly, Haru had only avoided him ever since then just because she felt that she would remind him of how he was before and ultimately make himself feel depressed. But knowing now that he had wanted to apologize for something so long in the past, Haru felt as if she was just pushing away her own past, as if she was trying to pretend that Akechi never killed her father.

Haru closed her eyes once again, slowly feeling the fatigue of the day wash over her.

"Akechi… I never blamed you for what happened… "

* * *

_**Aaaaaaaaaaand we are BACK! Yeah, sorry for making this guys, I just felt that this had to be made. I've recently had writers block and midterms are just around the corner for me so I decided to do something about it. College is good so far, and I think that I might have maybe a little too much extra time. Anyways, here is a work that I have been DYING to write for ages. This was inspired by the new theories about P5R; spoilers for anyone who hasn't finished Persona 5 yet. Apparently, there's talk that Akechi might actually survive and become a permanent party member later on. Now, I know there are a lot of plot issues that would make its way into the base story at that point, but I decided to humor it for a little while and pair it with my ship for Haru and Akechi (ironic, I know). Anyways, expect this to be updated every now and then. I'm not putting any other stories on hold, I just felt the muse to write this. In the meantime, seeya!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"I could never hate you"

"So how'd it go?" Akira asks as he stands behind the counter, brewing a cup of coffee.

Akechi stares out at the blank space, not saying a word. Finally, he leans back in his chair and shrugs.

"It wasn't bad, at least by what I feared would happen."

"What? What did you think Haru would do?"

Akechi paused for a moment, recollecting his thoughts

_In Akechi's mind_

Haru looked disgruntled, so Akechi decided to turn away. Then, out of nowhere, he felt Haru's arms around him.

"Haru-san! Wh-what are you doing?"

"Shh… just wait."

It was quite embarrassing at first, but the show of affection was a nice change of pace. That is, until.

"Ugh! Wha-"

"ULTIMATE OKUMURA GERMAN SUPLEX!"

_End_

"Let's… not talk about. Anyways, I have no idea. I mean, I was able to apologize to her, but she didn't respond. At least, I don't think she did."

Akira paused his work and set the hot pot of water down on the table.

"Are you sure about that? Maybe she did say something and you just didn't notice."

Akechi thought about it some more before sighing and leaning his head on the table.

"Oh, I don't know. It's too early in the morning for this stuff anyways."

"You said it. Here's your coffee."

Akechi gladly accepted the warm cup and sipped it. Yep, this was definitely the way to start his morning. Now if only Sojiro could teach him to brew this… He continued to sip the drink while Akira cleaned some dishes. The door could be heard opening, and Akechi turned to come face-to-face with them.

"Welcome to LeBlanc, how may I- oh"

Haru and Makoto had just walked in, but Haru had stopped midway when her gaze stopped on the former detective. Not wanting to be put in this situation, Akechi quickly left some money next to his unfinished coffee and left the shop. Haru tried to stop him but he was already through the door. Sighing, she took a seat at the bar table with Makoto in tow.

"The usual?" Akira asked.

They nodded and Akira proceeded to get two more mugs. Haru just stared at the half-finished cup of coffee while she waited.

"What's on your mind, Haru?" Akira suddenly asked, interrupting whatever she was thinking inside her head.

"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry. I spaced out for a second."

Akira gave her an uneasy look, but decided to leave it. Besides, Makoto had it covered.

"Did something happen between you and Akechi?"

"Yeah. I don't know why I'm hung up on it though."

Makoto leaned her head on her arm as if beckoning Haru to continue.

"Just the other day, he apologized to me about everything that he did before. It seems he was really guilty for everything and decided he had to apologize straight to me."

"Then I don't really see the problem here. You're already past your father, accepting that something like this would happen to him sooner or later."

Haru let herself rest on the table.

"I know, but for some reason it still bothers me!"

She pressed the tips of her index fingers to the sides of her head; whether it be from trying to think about her predicament or contacting aliens, neither of the two could tell. After some time, Haru gave up and laid back on the table pouting.

"Ah, it's been a while since I've seen Haru do that," Makoto said, taking in the rare scenery of a frustrated yet cute Haru.

"I should probably take a picture of this and send it to Futaba. Maybe she'll make an emoticon of it," Akira said as he poured them their coffee.

Then, his phone buzzed and he took it out.

"_Done and done,"_ said the text, complete with a pouty Haru face emoji taken from right that instant.

"Futaba, did you stay up all night playing video games again?" Akira asked nonspecifically.

Knowing Futaba, she still had some hidden cameras stowed in unknown nooks and crannies.

"_Maaaaaybe. But there's nothing you can do to stop me!" _her voice buzzed from the two-way radio near the corner of the bar.

Akira rolled his eyes.

"Well, if you have time to play Street Fighter, you have time to get rid of the bugs in the cafe."

"_Not a chance. You can't do anything to make me!"_

"Very well then," he said as he turned his phone to airplane mode.

"Hey Makoto, you ever notice how close Futaba and Yusuke are getting?"

A smile curved onto Makoto's face and she played along.

"Why yes. How odd, isn't it?"

"In FACT, I found a little something on her phone."

"Oh? That's interesting. How did you ever get in it?"

"Well, I may have been practicing hacking for excursion purposes in the past. But what would you expect me to find in her drafts folder for her texts?"

Akira opened his phone and showed pictures of non-sent drafts from Futaba's phone. Strangely enough, they were all meant to be sent to Yusuke.

"Oh my! If it isn't bundles of texts to our dear friend Yusuke! Even more, are those… love letters?!"

"_How did you get into my phone?! Dammit, get off of airplane mode NOW!"_

Akira and Makoto continued to read the texts out loud while Futaba's wails of agony could be heard. Haru watched the sadistic couple tease their younger sister, vowing to herself to never(repeat, NEVER) get on their bad side.

"I need to go now, so have fun you two," Haru said.

After leaving some money on the table, the sounds of Makoto and Akira jeering Futaba became distant. The cold Tokyo air blew in her face; sure, there was no snow, but it was mid-November and just enough to make her shiver. She gave herself a mental reminder to pack hand warmers when she went to school. For now, however, she had an appointment with Ann over a very important topic.

After another 10 minutes, Haru arrived at the determined meeting spot. Ann had been waiting at the cafe, sipping her tea until she noticed her fluffy-haired friend approach. Standing up, she quickly opened her arms for a hug.

"Haru! I haven't seen you in ages! How have you been?"

Haru returned the hug with equal enthusiasm.

"I've been fine. College has been pretty tough on my schedule so I'm sorry I couldn't meet earlier."

Ann waved her hand as if brushing it aside.

"Well then, let's get going! Those crepes aren't going to eat themselves!"

Haru smiled. She hadn't gone out with her sweets buddy in a good long while, so this excursion was bound to have at least five crepe places. They took a seat back at the cafe and ordered two crepes. As they waited, they began to chat on how things were going in their lives; the usual topics such as school, mutual friends, and interesting places was more than enough to keep the flame of conversation going.

"So, what was the big problem that you wanted to talk to me about?" Haru asked.

Ann clapped and took out her phone.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot."

Scrolling through, Ann found a post and showed it to Haru. It was a picture of her with a boy and a girl making a heart symbol with their hands.

_The Fluffy Cupid strikes again! Another successful confession!_

Haru suddenly dead-panned at the sight of the picture. Sure enough, leave it to Ann to figure out anything about her friends on social media.

"Sooo, what else have you been up to at school?"

Haru sighed and sipped the tea.

"It was only one time that I helped my friend confess to a boy they liked. Then, it happened again. I stopped keeping count after 5."

Ann applauded her friend at her terrific feat.

"Do you ever turn down requests, though?"

Haru shook her head.

"I can't say no to them. After being turned down by Akira, I want to give everyone a fighting chance at their crush. But, I wish they'd stop treating me like an urban legend."

They paused for a moment before Haru noticed Ann fidgeting. Her eyes narrowed at the blonde who quickly sat up straight.

"You wouldn't happen to be-"

"Oh hey! Our crepes are here!"

The waiter placed down the two crepes on the table in front of them. Ann rubbed her hands together.

"Well! Let's dig in!"

Ann took a knife and fork in hand, preparing to dig in until Haru suddenly picked up her plate.

"Wh- Haru!"

Haru just gave her a sweet smile back as she held the plate away from her.

"So, who is it?"

Ann gave a defeated look and leaned on the table.

"Okay, okay, it's- HYAH!"

Making a last effort attempt to grab the plate, Ann lunged forward. Unfortunately for her, Haru had seen this coming and moved the plate yet again. This went on for a few minutes before Ann sat back down, clearly exhausted.

"Haru *huff* please just give me the crepe… I can't survive without it… "

"All I'm asking for is a name," Haru replied back, the smile still plastered on her face.

Ann sighed.

"Makoto really has rubbed off on you for the past year, hasn't she?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I was like this since the beginning."

Ann quickly took the opportunity to swipe Haru's plate from under her nose and snuck a bite.

"Ah, that hit the spot."

Haru frowned, but admitted defeat and put Ann's crepe down in front of her. Taking a knife and fork, she cut herself a piece of the heavenly treat.

"Okay, you may have dodged the topic now, but you know that I'm not gonna stop until I find out."

Ann shook her head.

"I just wanted some advice from my friend. Who I like doesn't have to get involved in this conversation."

Haru narrowed her eyes once again, but continued to eat.

"Well then, it's up to me to figure it out, isn't it?"

"You can try, but I doubt you'll find out."

Haru thought for a moment.

"It definitely has to be someone we knew from last year. Not Akira though, you told the feelings were mutual between you two.

"Knowing you, it would be someone who sees you as a very close companion; would help you in a moment's notice. He's one of the Phantom Thieves, right?"

Ann suddenly looked more tense. Sweat could be seen on her forehead. Haru secretly smiled, knowing that she had her friend in a corner.

"You probably met him early on that year. You never noticed him before, but the Metaverse really helped bring out his character. Vigilant, brave, and willing to do anything for his friends. We can rule out Yusuke; from what I heard, he tried to make a nude painting of you before."

Ann's cheeks glowed red, but she shook it off. Now, Haru leaned closer.

"Ann… you're in live with… Mona-chan, aren't you?"

Ann's eyes popped wide open.

"What?! No! Of course not! I love Ryuji-"

She slapped her hands to her mouth and hid her face by landing it on the table. Haru, however, just smiled like normal.

"Ah, sorry. I meant to say Ryuji, but I just slipped. He's a really lucky boy to have you love him."

Ann, however, was writhing in embarrassment, refusing to look up.

"Just please end my misery… "

"Aw, don't be like that Ann-chan! Let's continue talking about Ryuji-kun and his good points," Haru said while patting her head.

At the mere mention of Ryuji, Ann blushed even more furiously.

"Stop! Okay, fine, I give up! Please stop teasing me about it!"

Finally finished with her fun, Haru went back to her crepe. Ann recovered as well, but began being more cautious with her words.

"Ann-chan, how long have you felt like this?"

Ann twirled a lock of her hair as she answered.

"I don't know when it started, it just built over time. I mean, one time he took a hit for me when we were in Mementos and ended up getting knocked out."

Haru nodded, remembering that grim day.

_Flashback_

"Panther! Watch out!"

The Reaper aimed one of its long-barreled revolvers at her, but she couldn't move at all. Complete fear had taken hold of her. She closed her eyes, as if resigning herself to fate until she felt someone push her away.

*BANG*

"AUGH!"

She was on the ground when she opened her eyes. A black-clad boy with bleach-blonde hair and a skull mask was next to her, holding his side and writhing in pain.

"Ryuji? RYUJI!"

_Flashback End_

"Thank goodness Akira and the others were able to finish it off before his condition got worse," Haru said.

Ann nodded. They had taken Ryuji to Doctor Takemi's office right after. Good news was that Ryuji was going to be alright. The bad news was that he would be out of commission for a week; that meant having to explain things to his mother and appeasing a very pissed off punk doctor giving him refuge for several days. Ann had been the one to visit him the most frequently, so how had nobody noticed a thing? Haru shook off those thoughts and gave Ann a more reassuring smile.

"You really care about him don't you?"

Ann stayed silent before sighing.

"Just, please tell me what I should do, Haru. You know how he is; he could be a real numbskull at times and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't take it seriously."

"That's true; you and Ryuji are pretty close that he might think you're just pulling his leg."

"I know, right? Jeez, I knew it was going to be impossible."

Haru thought for a moment.

"But Ryuji's always pulled through at the most crucial moment, especially for his friends. Remember at Shido's Palace?"

"How could I forget? I felt like beating the crap out of him when he walked up out of nowhere."

They chuckled, but quickly went back on topic.

"If you're completely honest with him, I'm sure he'll see that you're being serious."

Ann looked down at her empty plate, feeling unsure about it.

"Are you sure about it? What if he doesn't understand?"

Haru sighed, tired that her friend would seriously doubt Ryuji that much. Then, a slight inspiration struck her.

"Well then, how about you set the mood a little bit?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, go somewhere isolated, but it means a lot to both of you. When you talk to him, don't act flirty like you usually are; just act serious but not too serious. Then, gather up your courage, and tell him how you feel."

"But what if he rejects me?"

Haru gave her a smile.

"Then when you confess to him, don't think of any possibilities. Just think of what you're going to say and not care about what happens. Immerse yourself in the experience and make the most of it. Even if he doesn't forgive you-"

"Wait, forgive me? For what?"

Haru then caught herself and blushed slightly.

"Uh, I-I mean accept your confession! Even if he doesn't accept your confession, know that you can't force him to love you and he at least understands your feelings for him."

Ann nodded and stood up.

"Okay! I guess that's what I'll do! Look out Ryuji! I'll give you the best confession the world has ever seen!"

She sat back down, then suddenly cracked the smile of a devil's advocate.

"So, what were you talking about?"

Haru turned away, trying not to make eye-contact, but she could still feel Ann's piercing glaze on her neck.

"Well, it's not love. The other day, Akechi-kun apologized to me about what he did last year."

Suddenly, Ann stopped smiling.

"Oh, I'm sorry that I assumed. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

They stayed silent for a while before Haru spoke.

"No, if I don't face this, then I never will."

She looked up and continued talking.

"When he apologized, I don't know what I felt. I'm glad he apologized formally, but it didn't seem like I needed it. I mean, I know that he meant every part of it, but knowing that he was so guilty about this all this time, I didn't think that he'd be happy even if I did say I would accept his apology."

Ann crossed her arms and digested all the information Haru told her.

"Yeah, to be honest, I don't think that Akechi would be satisfied either. I mean, you may forgive him, but that doesn't change the past. Akechi isn't one to let go of the past and he'd probably still feel guilty whenever he talks to you. This really is quite the predicament you've landed in."

Then, Haru's phone rang. She picked it up and checked the ID.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ann-chan. I have to take this."

Ann smiled and waved at her.

"Go on! I'll just think over everything again."

Haru nodded in thanks and stood to the side.

"Hello? Are you alright Futaba-chan?"

Deep breathing could be heard from the other side of the line.

"Please Haru. I need you to help me. Akira shared the photos of my messages with Makoto and she now has them on her phone. I need you to get her to delete the photos."

Haru looked confused.

"Um, Futaba-chan you know I can't do anything, right?"

"*sigh*, I know. You were my only hope after all. I can't do anything since they turned off the connection from their phones, and knowing Akira, he probably has a bunch of flash drives filled with the stuff. Oh well, later."

Futaba was about to hang up before Haru stopped her.

"Oh, wait. Hold on, could I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure. Shoot."

"How did you feel about Akechi-kun when you found out he survived?"

A slight pause was imminent from the other side until Futaba spoke.

"I mean, to be honest, I felt relieved. I know that he was responsible for my mom, but when I saw him sacrificing himself for us, I knew that I could never bring myself to hate him."

Haru vaguely remembered herself muttering those same words to herself a few days prior.

"Why not? I mean, you suffered a lot because your mother wasn't there for you anymore. Why didn't you hate him even a little bit?"

"Because… he was all alone. He had nobody to turn to when he was in a bad situation, he never had any friends, he was just like me. He was just afraid of being alone, and when he had a second chance, I didn't want to hurt him."

Haru thought to herself. Of course! Even if she had accepted his apology, Akechi would still be afraid that whatever bond they had was long gone. Coming to a decision, Haru steeled herself for her plan.

"Okay, thanks Futaba-chan. I think I know what to do now!"

"Huh? What did you need to do? Ah well, whatever. I'll hang up now. Bye"

"Hold on. I might not be able to talk Mako-chan into deleting the pictures, but maybe with a little leverage… "

"Leverage?"

"Futaba-chan. Do you know what blackmail is?" Haru asked sweetly.

"Of course I do. The thing is, I don't have anything on either of them!"

"Well, what if I told you I have some rather… embarrassing photos of Akira when he was a child?"

"... go on."

"Give me a second."

Haru searched through her photos before finding one and sending it to the orange-haired hacker.

"What's this?" Futaba asked as she looked at the photo.

_Three_

_Two_

_One_

"Oh… my… GOD! How did you find this?!"

Haru chuckled.

"Well, when we went to drop Akira off at his home last year, he didn't have the opportunity to hide all the photo albums in time. I'm just lucky I found this specific picture."

But Futaba didn't hear any of it.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you so much Haru! I really owe you one! Bye!"

Haru smiled as she hung up and went back to join Ann.

"All finished?" Ann asked.

Haru nodded.

"Great, so I've been brainstorming ideas for the time being and I've narrowed it down to five different plans"

"Don't worry, I think I can handle it myself now."

Ann dead-panned for a moment before coming back to her senses.

"What? But I spent so much time on brainstorming too."

Haru sighed and stood up.

"I guess it can't be helped then. How about the next few desserts are on me?"

And with that, Ann was sprung out of her depression. Haru lamented happily about her plans.

"Now, I can finally set things right."

* * *

_The next week…_

"Wait, Makoto, please, don't do this!"

"Too late. After seeing you like that, how can I resist?"

"I'll do anything, just please don't make me do that!"

"Oh you're doing this whether you like it or not. It's time that I turned the tables and indulged myself with you. *slurp* For the time being, you're aaaaaall mine."

"Wait… no… No! NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Futaba was watching in the corner, holding up her phone to record the entire thing.

"Heh heh. This'll be a hit with everyone else."

At the end, Akira was crying on the floor wearing a Buchimaru onesie.

"Futaba… you liar… you told me you wouldn't tell… "

Futaba stretched.

"That was just my insurance that you would delete everything. You dug your own grave when you shared with Makoto."

Makoto looked like she was on cloud nine.

"She told me what she had and agreed to trade the picture and a rare adult-sized onesie for me deleting everything. How could I refuse?" Makoto said while showing him the picture of a toddler Akira in a Buchimaru onesie.

Akira continued to cry while Morgana licked his paw.

"Some fearless leader," he chuckled while he leapt off the table to go downstairs.

Futaba followed along to see Sojiro behind the counter.

"Sojiro! I have defeated the demon lord! Give me a nourishing recovery meal!"

Sojiro sighed but smiled and took out a plate of curry. Futaba was about to dig in before Sojiro pulled out his phone.

"Futaba. Could you explain to me what this is?"

Futaba looked up to once again see the cursed images of her youth.

"WHAAAT?! How do you have these?!"

Sojiro pushed up his glasses.

"Akira gave them to me a little while ago. Said something about there being an opportune moment to strike."

Futaba passed out on the table while Akira crawled down the stairs.

"Hah, that's what you get for defying the leader of the Phantom Thieves!"

"Who wooks so adowable in his cute wittle onesie," Makoto lamented, having gone smitten at the sight of her boyfriend in a costume from her childhood memories.

Immediately, Akira fell into a state of despair once again.

*ding-a-ling*

"Hm? What's going on here?" Akechi asked.

He had made it a habit to read the situation of the room, but seeing Akira in a panda costume half passed-out on the ground, Futaba laying on the counter with her soul seeping out of her mouth and Makoto having visible hearts sprouting from her eyes, Akechi got the feeling he didn't want to know.

"Akechi… bro… help me… " Akira wheezed, struggling to move.

Akechi sighed and walked towards his friend until he heard a slight cracking noise.

"Hm?"

He looked up and saw Makoto smiling at him. In her hand, she held a coffee mug.

"Ooookay?"

He took another step and heard the crack again. Akechi looked up and saw Makoto in the exact same position, smiling at him. This time, however, the mug had a large crack down the middle.

"... I'll just… take a seat over there," he said, pointing towards the counter.

Makoto nodded.

"Good."

She then put the mug down and picked up a sobbing Akira, dragging him back into the attic. Akechi pulled a chair and sat down.

"Okay, I think that's enough to shorten my lifespan by a few years."

*ding-a-ling*

Akechi turned to the door to see Haru walk in. She looked straight at him as if expecting him to be there. Sighing, he stood up.

"Sorry Sojiro-san. I'll come by another time."

He was about to step out the door but a voice stopped him.

"Wait a moment, Akechi-kun."

Akechi stopped dead in his tracks. He could sense Haru turn around, his heart pounding with every step.

"Ah! Sorry, Haru-san, but I've got something really important I need to do today. Sorry."

He stepped out of LeBlanc and ran as fast as he could. After a few minutes, he turned around. Not seeing anyone, he allowed himself to stop and take a breather.

"Man, I'm out of shape… "

"... -kun"

"Hm?"

Akechi thought he heard something, but shook his head and continued on his way.

"... kechi-kun"

Okay, now he definitely heard something. He turned around to see a large dust cloud beginning to form. At the foot of it was a fluffy-haired, pink-clad girl.

"Akechi-kun!"

"Oh for the love of Sataniel!"

Akechi started to run, but he already ran out of stamina, thus couldn't keep a good distance between them.

"Akechi-kun!"

"Nononononono!"

Akechi gave it his all in his running, feeling his energy seep away from him. But all attempts were futile in the face of a determined Haru.

"AKECHI-KUUUUUUUN!"

*SMACK*

Not looking where she was going, Haru accidentally tripped and ran smack dab into Akechi, sending them both to the ground. Haru landed on top of him after everything had settled down, gasping for breath.

"Haru-san… please-"

"Wait! You have to hear what I say!"

Akechi took this moment to catch his breath. After a while, Haru continued.

"When you apologized to me, I had told you that I could never bring myself to hate you. I didn't know why, but now I know."

Akechi looked up at her. She had been hiding her face before, but now, he could clearly see the tears coming down her face.

"I talked to Futaba, and realized that you were still hurting on the inside. That you thought you would be left alone again. I realized that I was like that too, and I found out why I couldn't hate you."

"Haru-san… "

"Please don't interrupt!" she yelled back at him.

"I wanted to tell you that I know it hurts being alone. So I want to tell you to not worry about it! I won't let you be alone, so don't act like I hate you!"

They stayed silent for a while before Akechi broke a smile.

"Haru-san. Thank you. Nothing would make me happier than knowing that you'll be there for me… "

Haru smiled and wiped her tears.

"Thank you, Akechi-kun. Let's be good friends from now on. And what did you want to say?"

Akechi nervously smiled as Haru was kneeling on top of him.

"Haru?"

He reached up to wipe the tears off her face. At that moment, Haru felt her face blushing. What was this? She didn't know why she was feeling like this or why something about Akechi seemed so much more… lighter? Then, he spoke.

"I think you broke some of my ribs."

"... "

"... "

"... I'm sorry… "

"... apology accepted."

* * *

_**Aaaaaaaand we are BACK! Welcome everyone to the second chapter! This was something I was looking forward to for ages! Just gonna let you guys know that I plan to make this a 5-10 chapter story so strap yourselves in; we'll be done before you know it. So, where will everything go later on? Well, now we'll get into the nitty-gritty of the romance. I know the tag says hurt/comfort and romance, but from this point on, it'll be more of a romantic comedy so I'll change it soon if I can. Anyways, please give your full support for this story; I greatly appreciate any and all feedback you can give to me. Also, apologies for the super long chapter. Just in case you don't read my P:OLP story, my update schedule will be P:OLP, Getting Along, then Part-time Lovers in that order, so don't expect anything for a while, alright? Okay! Seeya!**_


	3. Response to Negative Not-reviews

Hey Guys! Sorry, but this isn't another chapter. This is something that I wanted to bring up a lot lately ever since getting some negative feedback from Anonymous/Guest users. First, I would like to address those that have sent me said messages/reviews and may or may not be reading this; It is true that I accept all reviews be it positive or negative feedback. However, I shall not tolerate any attacks towards myself. The messages and reviews that I have received from you are clearly about insulting my interests and character as a whole and therefore shall not be tolerated. Second, I would like to address reviews that are belittling the franchise of Persona itself. I do not mind if the Persona series is not your cup of tea, or even if it's just Persona 5. You are absolutely free to voice your hate for the game but do so somewhere else. Fanfiction is a place where we can make our scenarios into stories and share with like-minded people, not to be criticized for our taste. Know that if you insult the franchise, not only are you spitting on a series that has inspired me greatly but the entire community that cheers for and supports the promotion of those games as well as the creators. Third and foremost, I would like to call out all of the cowards that hide behind the tag of anonymous, guest accounts, or non-main accounts. If you have something that you wish to say to me or to anyone who reads my stories, do so on your **REAL** account; The fact that you wish not to be identified shows your non-existent resolve to truly show your hate. I'd rather have it that you would bravely face the consequences of your actions like a true human being than to dodge the blame while taking potshots.

For anyone who is reading this and was expecting a new chapter, (It was me! Dio!) I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. I thank you for taking the time to read this response as well as supporting this series and my other works. I will not update in a while thanks to my schedule, but I will bring about the new chapter soon. Thank you very much and see you all soon!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Back to normal, more or less"

*ding-a-ling*

"Hm? Ah, you're back," Sojiro said after setting his newspaper down.

Akechi nodded and eased himself onto the stool.

"So, how are ya feeling?"

"Thankfully, I wasn't hurt too bad so I was able to get to a hospital soon enough without many injuries. The doctor just told me to take it easy for a few days while my ribs healed up. Still, 2 weeks was way too long for staying in the hospital; even longer was the amount of time I wasn't allowed out of my home."

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad to hear that. Have a cup on the house."

Akechi nodded in thanks as Sojiro got out a few bags of coffee beans and his grinder. While he waited for his drink to be finished, he checked the TV that was going on in the background.

"And now, we're back with an exclusive interview with Toranosuke Yoshida," the man said as the camera panned onto the politician sitting in a nearby chair.

"Your recent ratings have gone through the roof in the coming years haven't they, Representative Toranosuke?"

The man nodded his head.

"Indeed they have, and I am very grateful for those who have given me much support."

"This is a big step ever since your debut as a Diet member. If you don't mind, would you tell us what you were like back then?"

"Why sure! Back then, I was a naive and corrupt man who only cared about making it big in the field of politics. Many of the acts that I had done were unbecoming of a representative as well as a common member of society. After my fall, I had realized my mistakes and sought to right the wrongs that I had done, and thanks to some help, I was able to realize my goal in becoming a member of the world of politics as we know it today."

The reporter nodded along with what he was saying before turning back to his notes.

"One more thing that I would like to ask; what was your reason for pardoning the former Ace Detective Goro Akechi? Surely, what he has done is unbecoming of a detective as well, is that not correct?"

Akechi cringed at this and turned away from the screen.

"I will not deny that some of the acts that he had committed are without a doubt crimes, but I believe that he was deserving of forgiveness. After all, he is one of the many people that my campaign is built upon. The strong taking advantage of the weak, the older generation seeking to exploit the younger, that is the society that I wish to fight against. There is no doubt in my mind that Akechi-kun is likely one of the victims of such a society as well."

Then, Toranosuke turned straight to the camera.

"Akechi-kun, I don't know if you are watching this, but if you are, I hope that you will be able to live the life you never could now. Many people will hate you for what you did and some may never forgive you, but I hope that there is a group of people who will accept you for who you are."

Akechi smiled at the television set and bowed his head. The sound of a cup and saucer could be heard from the table as Sojiro set down his drink.

"Ah, thank you, boss," Akechi said as he sipped the drink.

Smooth and bold with a slight citrus flavor, Sojiro sure knew how to brew good coffee.

"No problem. If you need anything, I'll be outside," Sojiro said while grabbing his lighter and a pack of Wild Seven's.

Akechi nodded and continued his drink. Then, a noise could be heard in the seat next to him.

"Oh, morning Morgana."

The black cat jumped onto the stool and sat down next to him.

"Morning Akechi. How goes the ribs?"

Akechi rubbed his sides and slightly winced.

"Please don't remind me. Although, I've gone through worse. Care for some coffee? I'm sure Sojiro wouldn't mind if I took a little extra for you."

Morgana shook his head.

"No thanks. As much as I'm sure I'd like it, it might not be such a good idea. After all, a cat's tongue is more sensitive to taste than yours."

"Hm hm," Akechi mumbled.

"So you've finally admitted to being a cat. You surely have grown."

"Hilarious, Crow. Besides, just because I'm a cat right now doesn't mean I can't find a way to become human later."

In the recent months following his redemption, Akechi found the not-cat to be quite the conversationalist. One thing led to another, and eventually the two got into a basis of chatting from time to time whenever Akira wasn't around. He also discovered that they had a similar taste in sushi, so there was practically no reason for them to hate each other.

"I heard things went well with Haru. Pretty contradictory to what happened, though. Mind sharing the details?"

Akechi sighed and eased into his seat.

"She accidentally tripped while trying to catch up to me and ended up landing on top of me. Besides that matter, she accepted my apology and we're now on good terms. But I still feel like something is off… "

Morgana struggled to scratch the back of his ear but listened attentively.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well there was that matter of all those pastries that everyone received… "

_Two weeks ago…_

Makoto: Um, hey guys, did you get a box full of cakes? I just found a big one in front of my door.

Ryuji: Yeah, same here, except I've got a bunch of cookies.

Ryuji: Had to borrow my neighbor's hand truck just to get it inside. Ma was really surprised.

Yusuke: The same happened to me as well. The school said I had a delivery and they brought up a rather large box filled to the brim with sweet rolls.

Yusuke: I must say, despite it being such hefty baggage, I haven't been more grateful; I've begun to get tired of eating nothing but bean sprouts for some time

Futaba: Inari… that isn't healthy…

Futaba: It happened to me too! Sojiro just brought in a box of pound cake!

Futaba: Although, I don't think we can finish it all by ourselves so he's serving some with the coffee at LeBlanc

Ann: I am in heaven right now. I haven't tasted bonbons this good ever, not even when I went to France. Whoever sent these is an angel.

Yusuke: Indeed. I'm considering making a cup of coffee to go with these sweet rolls of mine.

Akechi: That sounds rather strange. Are you sure these aren't from fans? It's happened to me a lot before.

Akira: Yo, Akechi, so I was going to check up on you since you can't get out of the house right now, but I found a huge box outside of your apartment.

Akechi: Oh? Strange, I never expected anything today. What's inside?

Akira: Oh god, whoever sent these has a hilarious sense of humor.

Akechi: Wait, if it's what I think it is…

Akira: They're pancakes.

Akira: STACKS

Akira: OF BUTTERED

Akira: PANCAKES

Futaba: LOLOLOLOL

Ryuji: LMAO!

Akechi: … Believe it or not, this isn't the first time it's happened to me

Akira: Okay, but seriously, who did it? We're the only ones who joke about pancakes with Akechi this much.

Akechi: Actually, hold on a moment, Akira. Rumor about my love of pancakes is very well-known so it isn't surprising that I got these.

Akechi: What is surprising is that everyone else got packages as well.

Akechi: Maybe the general public has found out about our identities as former Phantom Thieves?

Akira: Oh crap, that might be true.

Futaba: Ryuji, this is all your fault!

Ryuji: Wait what? Why me?

Makoto: Well, I found out about your identities one time thanks to Ryuji…

Ryuji: Well, can't argue with you there…

Ryuji: Wait, but you guys are fully enjoying this though, why are you angry at me?

Ryuji: Futaba's probably stuffing her mouth with that pound cake as we're talking right now.

Futaba: This is all your fault. This delicious, light, fluffy pound cake is all your fault.

Haru: Oh, sorry everyone. That was me.

Ryuji: For real?!

Akira: Seriously?

Akechi: I'm glad I was wrong then.

Haru: I was baking something and I ended up making too much. Hope you guys can help me finish this.

Yusuke: Haru, I am forever in your debt. If you ever have an abundance of food, I shall always be available.

Haru: You're welcome.

Akechi: What caused you to over bake like that?

Haru: Oh, you know, I just got carried away.

Akechi: That seems rather concerning. Are you sure you're feeling alright?

Haru: Yes, I'm fine!

Akira: Hey Akechi, do you want to borrow my maple syrup?

Akechi: Why? I already have a jar inside the cupboard.

Akira: One jar won't cut it for this stack

Akechi: What do you mean? How big are those pancakes?

Akira: Its diameter is the same as my wingspan. The stack is up to my waist.

Akechi: … Haru? Are you sure you're alright?

Haru: Perfectly fine! Never been better!

_Flashback End_

"Haru must have broke the record for the biggest pancake at that point," Morgana exclaimed.

"Mm, no she didn't. The record is about a 15 meter diameter somewhere in the UK," Akechi said whilst taking another sip of his coffee.

"Really? That's quite impressive. Say, how did you know about that off the top of your head?"

Akechi froze in place.

"... I happened to search it up that day."

Morgana raised his eyebrow.

"Really? But you still remember from that long ago? Even the details?"

Akechi quickly put his hand on top of Morgana's head to shut him up.

"Wh- hey! Ow! Ow, that- hey. Oh, actually… that actually feels really… really nice… mrrooow."

Despite his claims, a cat is still a cat, and Akira had to make him shut up at some point. Akechi was grateful for how open his bespectacled friend was in his methods of silencing the feline. Said silence was short-lived, however, when Haru stepped inside.

"Oh, hello Akechi-kun. I hope you're doing better."

Akechi smiled and nodded.

"Not to worry, I'm fine. Speaking of which, care for a cup of coffee?"

Haru quickly shook her head.

"Um, actually no thanks. I decided to, uh, to… to give Mona-chan a visit! He's been pretty lonely ever since Akira and Mako-chan started going out more often."

Akechi tilted his head.

"Really? I thought Akira was actively trying to avoid Makoto, especially ever since **that** incident."

*ding-a-ling*

All of a sudden, Akira dashed into the cafe, panting as if he had run a mile.

"Guys, I wasn't here, I didn't go upstairs, and you never saw me, alright?"

Before either of them could respond, Akira dashed up the steps to his room. Now, they both looked even more confused.

"What was he talking about? And what was he running for?"

"Crap! I almost forgot!"

Akira then ran downstairs again and unplugged the radio-set that Futaba usually used to communicate.

"Akira, is there something you want to tell us?" Haru asked.

But Akira made a mad dash upstairs once again.

"Wait a second, was he wearing that onesie again?"

*ding-a-ling*

Slowly, Akechi turned around and his soul filled with dread.

"Ah, good morning Akechi-kun," Makoto said in a sing-song voice.

She was wearing a panda onesie as well, and seemed to never stop smiling.

"G-g-good morning, N-n-niijima-san," he stuttered, struggling not to spill his coffee.

She looked around the room before speaking again.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to have seen Akira anywhere, have you?" she asked.

Akechi started sweating like crazy, but he shook his head.

"Oh really? Well that's too bad. What about you, Haru? Morgana?"

They both shook their heads as well, not wanting to say anything at all. Makoto, however, did not seem to be convinced.

"So none of you have seen him at all? I was sure he ran this way."

Then, she leaned over to Akechi and whispered into his ear.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be **lying **to me, would you? Lying will only make things worse."

Akechi tried to speak, but couldn't squeeze out the words due to his sheer terror. Luckily, Haru jumped in.

"Oh, you know we would never lie to you Mako-chan, why would we ever lie to you?"

Makoto stayed still before backing off.

"Yeah, you're right, Haru. You would never lie to me."

She turned around and stepped out the door. After a few seconds of anticipation, everyone let out a deep breath. Akechi pulled out his phone and texted Akira.

Akechi: She's gone. You're safe.

Akira: Thanks, I owe you one.

Futaba: Did you think that taking out the radio and the bugs would ever make you safe?

Akira: Futaba, don't you dare.

Futaba: I'll do it if I feel like it. You know what I feel like right now? Lunch

Futaba: You have 10 minutes to get me deluxe sushi or I'll give Makoto your location. Forget about ditching your phone, too; I have access to all the cameras in Yongen-jaya.

Akira: Dammit, alright fine!

Akira walked down the stairs looking defeated. Haru, feeling sorry for their leader, patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm so sorry about this, Akira."

Akira looked confused but shook his head.

"It's fine. I just need to hide from her for another day or two."

As he checked if the coast was clear, Haru covered her face.

"I've created a monster. Oh well, here goes nothing."

Then, Akechi tapped Akira's shoulder.

"Hey, you know, there is a way to get back at Futaba for this."

"How? She's got all of Tokyo's technology under her thumb."

"Well, she is human, after all. And the way that she's been sleeping, she's bound to crash anytime soon… "

Akira's eyes suddenly lit up as a plan began to unfold.

"Yeah… yeah I can work with that… I wonder how much I can get away with this on my current funds… "

Haru brought out her credit card from her purse and handed it to him.

"Here, go ahead and use it as you see fit. Just don't spend too much."

"Seriously? Are you sure Haru?"

Haru nodded as Akira happily accepted her card.

"Great, now everything is in motion. I'll give this back soon, Haru. And Akechi, thanks for the tip! I owe you some Haru pancakes!"

Both Akechi and Haru blushed at the comment, but before they could respond, Akira had already left. Morgana, somehow reading the situation in record time, jumped off the chair.

"I'll go make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. Have fun, you two."

An awkward silence filled the air as the two were left alone. Not knowing what else to talk about, Akechi cleared his throat.

"*Ahem* So Haru, what were you baking for anyways?"

Haru scratched the back of her head nervously.

"Actually, I kind of forgot why I was baking in the first place… "

Akechi raised his eyebrow.

"Really? Then how did you end up making all of those pastries?"

"Well… " Haru started.

What was she doing at that time anyways? She remembered feeling pretty guilty after hurting Akechi but he told her everything was fine. Still, it bothered her so she decided to bake to take things off her mind. Then, before she knew it, she had already made several dozen pancakes…

Pancakes? Why did that pop out of nowhere? Why did she even consider baking that? Was it because she was thinking about Akechi…

"Wha- No I wasn't thinking about him! I mean, I think of him yes, but mostly as a friend, well maybe a little more- No! I definitely think of him as a friend!"

Akechi started to get more and more confused as Haru continued to make herself flustered.

"Haru? Who are you talking about? Who do you see as just a friend?"

"Oh it's y-"

Haru quickly covered her mouth before she spoke anymore. Then, she quickly grabbed her bag and excused herself.

"Sorry, but I just remembered something I had to do today. Bye!"

"Good-"

*CLANK*

"-bye… wonder who she was talking about. Maybe Yu Narukami?"

As Haru walked through the alleyway and towards the station, she heard someone coming up from behind her.

"I knew something was up the minute Joker left," Morgana said as he leapt down from the fence post.

Haru sighed and pressed her fingertips to her forehead.

"Mona-chan, please tell me you haven't been listening in on that conversation."

Morgana stretched before speaking again.

"Sorry, but you two made it too interesting not to listen in on. In fact, I'm pretty sure Boss heard a little something while he was outside."

"Sojiro-san too? Oh, this is going to be a problem."

Out of all the Phantom Thieves, she knew Sojiro for the shortest amount of time, but from what she gathered from Akira, he was rather doting and loved to tease at times. The last thing she needed was for the safe haven to be overrun by Sojiro's constant jeering. She could practically hear the 'hoo boy' as he launched into yet another one of his famous lectures.

"I doubt he would pick on you as much as he did to Akira. But either way, we should try to address the source of your thoughts."

Haru nodded and continued to make her way to the station.

"Oh yeah, they'll probably won't let you on the train, Mona-chan. Hop on into my bag."

"It's been a while since I've been with just you, Haru," Morgana said.

As soon as the not-cat was secured inside, Haru set off again and eventually took a seat. Now to sort out all of her emotions and thoughts.

"So what makes you like Akechi so much?" Morgana asked.

It was fascinating how Haru could help many others describe their feelings for other people but somehow could not express her own emotions. She took a deep breath and pictured Akechi in her mind.

Of course, the looks were definitely present; he was regarded as being very handsome by his fans, but something seemed different to her, as if there was a lens that only Haru could see Akechi through. That small smile that would show when he was enjoying something, the ever-so-slight tilt of his head when something puzzled him, how he absolutely refused to comb his bangs out of the way which showed his childish side, it was almost too much for the heiress to take in without having her heart burst from the blood rushing through so quickly.

"Everything about him just appeals to me. I don't know why, but I can't help but smile whenever he smiles or feel down whenever he's sad."

"That's usually how friends are. Everytime Akira had a good date with Makoto, even I can't help but feel glad for him", Morgana replies.

"How is your feeling any different?"

Haru sighs.

"You know, Mona-chan, you don't have to make everything so difficult."

Morgana rustled around in the bag to face her.

"I'm just trying to help you figure out why you like him so much. I mean, I was attracted to Lady Ann at one point, but now I'm not too sure. Although, it's not like I've given up on her; it's just going to be on hold until I become human."

Haru suddenly felt a lump form in her chest, however this time it felt like guilt. Looks like she owed an apology to him later. Brushing it aside, she continued to think.

"I don't know how to describe how I feel about him. It's just really complicated… "

"That's a good start, Haru. After all, love is complicated."

The announcer came up on the PA and signaled that their stop would be arriving soon. Getting up, Haru walked through the doors and made her way to her apartment. Once there, she unloaded her companion and he made his way onto the couch.

"I've got a couple things I'll need to mull over so make yourself at home for the time being, Mona-chan."

Morgana nodded in response, quickly curled up in a ball, and dozed off. Meanwhile, Haru gathered up some papers and walked over to her desk. Putting on a pair of reading glasses, she went through her notes planning to study, but the image of Akechi kept on popping into her head.

"Why does this all have to happen so suddenly?" she asked herself, but there was no response.

She could hear the not-cat breathing ever-so-slightly in the background as she tapped her finger on the table. Well, since she had all this time to herself, she might as well use it to reflect with a cup of coffee.

_Meanwhile…_

The bell jingled as Sojiro came back into the cafe. Akechi was still in the same spot thinking about Haru's last words before she left, leaving the rest of his coffee untouched.

"Oh, sorry I let the coffee go cold, Boss. I was just caught up with something."

Sojiro shook his head and returned behind the counter.

"It's fine. Besides, it still tastes alright even if it's cold. A little something I've been working on ever since Futaba came home with that damned cup of Sunbucks."

Just the sight of Sojiro seeing his daughter with such a cup in hand was enough to make him shiver. At one point, he remembered the time Akira had pranked Sojiro by having everyone bring Sunbucks cups to the cafe. Even though they had been filled with water, Sojiro still refused to serve them any curry until all traces of the brand were erased within a 30 meter radius.

"You can't really blame people for liking it. I mean, Ryuji isn't really into bitter things so I guess it makes sense he'd rather have coffee jam-packed with sugar."

"All the more reason for me to turn him away from that. He's lucky he works out often or else he'd be diagnosed with diabetes by the time he's 20."

Akechi chuckled and finished off the rest of his coffee. Then, considering whether or not he should continue, he set down the empty cup.

"Excuse me, Boss, but don't you think Haru seems a bit different lately?"

"If you're referring to that time she went on a baking spree, yes and no. If she really did have a screw loose, she would've probably replaced the sugar with salt."

"Yes, but it's a little odd that she would get that carried away with baking."

Sojiro leaned on the table and let out a deep sigh. His eyes looked up at the ceiling and never strayed for a moment.

"Hmm… should I? … Nah."

He stood up and took Akechi's empty cup.

"Well, I might have an idea of what's going on, but I think you should figure it out yourself. After all, you were a detective."

"You're not really making things easy when you say you know but don't tell me what."

"Mhm. Sure. Fair warning, I don't make things easy, but this was pretty simple to figure out. Just look at the bigger picture."

Akechi left the cafe feeling refreshed but confused at the same time; a rare feeling for the former detective. Checking his phone, he decided it was high time for him to head home.

After half an hour, he once again entered the familiar room of his apartment. The bags dropped to the ground and he fell on his bed while turning on the radio. As he closed his eyes, he could hear the recent results of the polls; looks like Toranosuke is a shoe in for the next election as well.

"What is going on with Haru?"

He mulled over Sojiro's words once again.

"It's really obvious? Maybe he means whatever's happening to Haru is very common… Ah! Maybe she's on her perio- no, I'm pretty sure that doesn't last a long time. Or does it? Oh well, it's not like she's been agitated lately."

He checked his phone once again for any notifications, but dropped it once he saw there were none.

"She's been avoiding me lately, so maybe it's something I did? Or perhaps she feels guilty about my broken ribs. If that was the case, she's already done more than enough to compensate. Besides, it wasn't that big of a deal."

This went on for a few more minutes until he gave up.

"Some ace detective I was. I can't even solve this mystery."

*PIPIPI*

"Hm?"

Akechi checked and saw that an unknown number was calling him. Reluctant to answer, but too curious to let it go, he slid his finger to the right on the screen and perked it to his ear.

"Akechi? Are you there?"

Ah, that explains why it was an unknown number. Akira was calling from a phone booth.

"Yes, I can hear you. Still on the run?"

"Yeah. About that, do you have a tux? Like one that you wear to a wedding?"

"Excuse me?"

"Just, do you or not? I'm limited on time here."

Looking through his closet, Akechi found a black tuxedo jacket that he had only worn on a few occasions.

"Yes, I have one. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, great. See, it's for something I have planned. Call the others except for Futaba to get fancy clothes ready, the kind you wear at weddings. I'll explain to you when we all meet up after Makoto gets out of this phase."

"Wait, what do you have in mind?"

"Like I said, I'll - wait, oh no."

"Akira?"

"Holy shit, she spotted me! Sorry but I'm gonna have to cut this short."

"Makoto's there? How did she find you so fast?"

"Crap she's fast! She's already here! Akechi! Please, don't hang up on me man! Don't let me face this alone! Don't hang u- *beep*"

Akechi pulled the phone away from his ear and saw that the connection was disconnected. Silently saying a prayer to his friend, he returned to his bed and laid down, closing his eyes.

"A wedding, huh? I wonder what he has in store… "


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"What do I really feel about you?"

"*yawn*, boy did I sleep for a long ti- huh?"

Futaba looked at where she was and how she was dressed. Now feeling more aware, she noticed that she was sleeping in a sitting position, not that it was unusual since she sometimes fell asleep at her desk, but rather she was sitting in a wooden chair in a foyer.

Secondly, she found that she wasn't wearing her usual headphones, T-shirt, or even anything that she usually wore. Instead, a stunning white gown was presented on her with a headdress to boot! She checked her feet and noticed that she was also wearing high-heels.

"What the hell happened?"

Suddenly, a door opened.

"Ah, you're finally awake. So how're ya feeling?"

"Wh- what the heck?!"

Sojiro looked back at her with a confused face. He was wearing a black tuxedo, white dress shirt, and a red tie. His hair had been combed back and his usual goatee had been groomed. His old glasses no longer showed any signs of smudging and seemed to gleam in the sunlight.

"What's wrong? Is something on my face?"

"Nonono, why are you here?!"

Sojiro frowned.

"What do you mean? Unless you want Morgana to walk you down the altar, you're stuck with me."

Now Futaba was even more confused.

"Altar? Why am I even dressed like this? You're not making any sense."

Sojiro sighed and checked his watch.

"Do you really not remember anything? I mean, you did come back home pretty wasted last night… "

"Just spit it out already!"

"Did you just forget about your own wedding?!"

Futaba gasped and stayed silent. Then, she turned around and hid in the corner muttering to herself.

"Thisisadreamthisisadreamthisisadreamthisisadreamthisisa-"

"Pull yourself together, Futaba!"

Sojiro placed his hand on her shoulder to calm her nerves.

"I mean, it took a lot of courage on Yusuke's part to propose to you, so you should at least attend the wedding."

"Y-y-y-yusuke?!"

But Sojiro merely nodded.

"Yes yes, the blockhead proposed to you and you said yes. Now that you're all caught up, let's get you to the hall."

Futaba was still at a loss for words before she was brought in front of a set of large doors.

"*Gulp*"

"Stay calm, it'll be alright," Sojiro told her as he offered his arm.

Futaba reluctantly took it as the doors opened.

An organ played as she and Sojiro walked through. The church was mostly empty save for a few friends that she knew. At the altar was all of the Phantom Thieves in their respective tuxedos and gowns. It took a second for her to recognize them at all, she wasn't even sure if Ryuji could clean his act. Near the ground, she even saw Morgana in a little tuxedo of his own.

Then, at the center of it all was the man of the moment, Yusuke himself. He was dressed in a white tuxedo with a blue dress shirt underneath and a red bow tie at his neck. His hair was swept to the side in a neat motion making more room to see his face. Futaba had to admit that she blushed a little at the sight.

At last, they reached the altar where Yusuke brought up the veil from her face. At that moment, she was blushing non-stop while Yusuke resumed his position and the priest was talking.

After what seemed like ages, she finally heard the priest ask her a question.

"Do you, Futaba Sakura, take Yusuke Kitagawa as your husband?"

She could feel her jaw shaking as she tried to say yes, but she resorted to nodding.

"Then by the powers vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride"

"_Oh no, I can't handle this,"_ she thought to herself.

Surrendering to her fate, she puckered her lips and waited for Yusuke's embrace.

Then, a cool yet soft mass pressed against her lips. It was like nothing she had ever felt before in her life. For the first time ever (at least she believed) she was finally kissing that stupid block-head Inari!

"Hm?"

That was strange; were lips meant to feel this way? Now that she thought about it, Yusuke's lips seemed to be very… smooth. Not saying that lips weren't smooth but this felt oddly smooth. As she opened her eyes, she could see Akira covering his mouth trying to stifle a laugh. In his hand, he was holding a block of konjac jelly.

"WHAT THE HELL AKIRA?!"

She turned to everyone else who was also trying to hold back their laughter, even Sojiro was struggling to keep his laughs inaudible.

Then, the realization dawned on her.

"This isn't a dream is it? It isn't real either, right?"

Finally, everyone erupted in laughter from the suspense. Akira was on the ground laughing his ass off while she could have sworn she saw Ryuji pissing his pants.

"Okay, that's hilarious, but how did you even do this?! Where'd you get the money for this?!"

Then, she noticed one person who wasn't laughing, or at least, wasn't laughing as hard as everyone else.

"Alright, in all seriousness, this was quite the awkward experience for me. Please tell me there was at least a bowl of ramen worth my troubles."

Akira replied to him between gasps.

"Ramen, sushi, whatever man! I'll give you a freakin' feast when this is over."

Ann, however, looked a bit confused.

"Wait, what about this was awkward for you?"

Yusuke scratched the back of his neck while trying to avoid Futaba's gaze.

"Well… I'm not quite sure… I mean the decorations are quite atrocious… "

Ann raised her eyebrow.

"You don't seem so sure about that."

"I mean, do you think these would do justice on Futaba's wedding day?"

Ann stared at him for a solid minute before her eyes widened in realization.

"Wait, do you actually like Futaba?!"

However, Yusuke dragged Akira and Ryuji by the back of their collars.

"Gentlemen, I believe the time for ramen is at hand!"

As Ryuji and Akira choked on their respective collars, Sojiro sighed and brought out his pack of cigarettes.

"Well, after that, I'm gonna need a smoke. I'll be outside if anyone needs me."

Morgana followed in suit with the barista while Makoto and Ann escorted Futaba out of the church. Only then did Akechi and Haru realize they were left behind.

"I must say, I never expected Akira to be able to pull off something as grand as this."

Haru nodded.

"What's even more surprising was the amount of money he used. He really does have some good connections."

"Indeed."

"... "

"... "

The two spoke nothing as an awkward silence filled the air.

"So… how are classes going?"

"Oh, they're doing alright. I got a grade back for my project and it turned out really well!"

"I see! Congratulations."

"Thank you"

"... "

"... "

Both could tell that the conversation wasn't going anywhere. Akechi secretly wondered what made everything seem so awkward to the point that they couldn't talk casually as friends. Haru, meanwhile, was trying to sort out her emotions.

"You look nice in that dress," Akechi suddenly said.

"Hm? Oh, thank-"

Haru suddenly stopped herself when she processed what Akechi just said.

"_Why did my heart suddenly flutter? Is it because he complimented me? I mean, it's not uncommon for people to do that to each other and it happens to me a lot, but why did I feel happy that he said that?"_

Meanwhile, Akechi was in his own little world rethinking over what he said.

"_Why did I say that? Am I really so pathetic that I have to say that to keep a conversation? And why did she cut herself off? Agh, it must have been what I said! Since when did I have Akira-levels of awkwardness?"_

As if nothing could make things worse they were both sent a lifeline.

*beep* *beep*

"Hm?"

Akechi checked his phone to see the new message he got.

_(Stream Beginning)_

Akira: Hey, Akechi, you have free time? There's something we all need to talk to Yusuke about. We're at the ramen place.

Akechi: What's so important? Can you just tell me here?

Akira: It's better if we're all here together. Trust me on this.

Akechi: Gotcha. Be there in a bit.

_(Stream End)_

Akechi turned to Haru who was also looking at her phone.

"Sorry, there's something that I need to attend to with Futaba-chan and the others. Bye."

"Is that so? Akira and the guys wanted to talk about something so I'm headed elsewhere as well. Fill me in about your talk later, would you?"

Haru nodded and they both went their separate ways.

* * *

_Ogikubo Ramen_

Akira checked his phone before looking up to see the smiling face of his friend.

"Hey Akechi! We were waiting on you."

"Thanks. But let's not wait any longer. Shall we?"

The four friends ducked into the shop and took their seats next to each other. After ordering, they decided to make some small talk.

"So what was it that you wanted to talk to everyone about?" Akechi asked.

Akira and Ryuji had a devilish look on their face as they both turned to Yusuke who was conveniently seated in between them. Yusuke, however, pretended not to notice them and had begun to inspect his glass of water.

Akechi narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer.

"Yusuke… is there something you're hiding from us?"

Yusuke shook his head.

"No, I don't believe I am hiding anything at all. Whatever gave you that idea?"

This only made Akechi more suspicious. Thankfully, he had his fair share of tight-lipped witnesses that refused to testify, and thus had to resort to drastic interrogation techniques (not THOSE kind of techniques, mind you, he would never lift a finger at the artist if he could help it).

"Are you sure there isn't something, Yusuke-kun? This is your last chance before we have to get… _serious._"

But Yusuke just shook his head as he moved on to contemplating the texture of his chopsticks.

Akechi sighed and loosened his neck tie before continuing.

"Very well then. I warned you, but it looks like you're going to have to suffer before learning your lesson."

He then turned to Akira and Ryuji who were both poised to strike.

"Hold him down."

In a flash, Akira and Ryuji had constrained Yusuke in his seat, effectively binding his arms, legs, and mouth in place. Where they got the rope, Akechi had no idea, but he decided to coin it to their resourcefulness that had emerged during their days of Phantom Thievery.

Akechi then pulled out a pair of latex gloves, an ink pad, and a stamper.

"I'm about to remind you what kind of position you're in, Kitagawa-san," he said all with a pleasant smile.

Yusuke's eyes bulged out of his skull as he shook his head so fast that he could have contracted whiplash.

"Now then, I would like to say that this is a marvelous plating set-up you have here," Akechi stated as he motioned to Yusuke's placement of his utensils and water.

Then, taking the stamper and applying a dextrous amount of ink on it, he hovered it over the napkin.

"However, don't you think a little bit of randomness would really make the picture?"

Yusuke shook his head with continued vigor. Ryuji then took a second to remove the handkerchief from Yusuke's mouth.

"You wouldn't dare, Akechi. You would never have it in you to spoil the fine arts."

Akechi raised his eyebrow as he smiled coyly.

"I wouldn't dare, you say? Oh but I say I would!"

Akechi then proceeded to stamp the living hell out of the napkin until it was completely covered in ink. Poor Yusuke watched in horror as his hard work was undone in a mere span of seconds. After finishing his attack on the paper accessory, Akechi turned to Yusuke.

"Feel like talking now?"

Through his exasperated look, the blue-haired artist finally recovered only to shake his head.

"I can merely take a replacement napkin from the side. You have done nothing to hinder me in the slightest."

Akechi frowned at this, but then sat back in his seat.

"Really, Yusuke? I expected better from you, but it seems we still have a ways to go before you spill the beans."

"Here you go, boys! 3 bowls of tonkatsu ramen with extra char-siu pork!"

Akira, Ryuji and Akechi turned to see that their orders had been delivered in front of them.

"And here is your extra large deluxe miso ramen with bamboo shoots."

A large bowl was presented before Yusuke that was the epitome of perfection. The balance of the pork belly and dried seaweed was absolutely perfect, as if a master artist and chef came together to have the greatest love child of all time. The broth had a light color texture so smooth, he could have sworn it was milk. Lastly, the bamboo shoots sprouted from the back of the bowl, as if to imitate the grand bamboo forests of Japan itself. Yusuke's stomach grumbled just thinking about it and he raised his hand to grab his chopsticks, only to remember that he was currently bound to his seat.

Akechi and the others smiled as they brought up their utensils.

"No, you wouldn't dare take this from me! This is inhumane!"

Akechi nodded as he brought up the deluxe ramen bowl to his face.

"Of course we would never eat your ramen, Yusuke. We're not savages."

"Oh, thank goodness. Now please, take off my restraints so I can-"

"But you still haven't talked. I think a different punishment is in order."

Akechi brought up the deluxe bowl close to Yusuke's nose and let him breath in the hypnotizing aroma. But before Yusuke could even get one noodle into his mouth, Akechi put it back down. Then, he grabbed his own respective bowl and proceeded to slurp the broth.

"NO! NO, YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"

"By all means, Yusuke, you are free to start eating. That is, if you can tell us what you're hiding. I swear to not eat even an atom of your ramen if you tell us."

Yusuke stopped struggling, considering his odds, but decided to keep mum. Akira and Ryuji sighed as they looked at their respective bowls.

"You brought this on yourself, Yusuke," Ryuji said as he brought up his bowl.

Akira pushed up his glasses so that they would reflect the light.

"Bon appetit"

As the three friends devoured their tonkatsu ramen, Yusuke's stomach churned at not being able to consume his own bowl. The acids threatened to melt a hole through his stomach if he did not take action.

After a few minutes, the boys had finished their ramen, leaving a tired and hungry Yusuke alone with his untouched bowl.

"So, -urp, remembering something yet?"

"I have no words to say to you monsters. There is nothing that you can do to me anymore. My persistence has won!"

Akechi sighed and leaned on his arms.

"Oh Yusuke. Oh poor naive Yusuke. You really think I've played all of my cards?"

Then, Akechi made a grab for his bowl. Yusuke's eyes grew wide at this.

"You wouldn't have the heart to waste perfectly good food, would you? I mean, you're already full and so is everyone else. You don't have the heart to throw it into the trash!"

"Oh no, don't get me wrong Yusuke. I have no intention of putting Akira's money to waste. However, since you can't eat it right now… let's just say whatever you can't eat at a restaurant, **you take home**."

Akira caught onto his plan and motioned for the chef.

"Excuse me, but can I have a ladle and a **togo cup**?"

Yusuke turned his head to his friend in horror at the absolute betrayal.

"No… not that! Not the dreaded togo cup!"

It was one thing to sully his creations that have been made out of sheer pleasure, but to sully the masterpieces that had taken a lifetime to perfect was something Yusuke could never see. Akechi calmly took the ladle and togo cup and placed it on the table as he smiled.

"Yeah, maybe it would be best if you continue this at home Yusuke. You don't seem to be in the shape to eat right now."

"You wouldn't! You couldn't! You'd never do such a thing!"

Akechi turned to him and finally opened his eyes, his pleasant smile turning into one of maniacal pleasure.

"**I would**"

The ladle began to dip into the broth before Yusuke screamed.

"Alright! Alright! I'll talk!"

"Good! Oh waiter, can we have another round of ramen? I'm feeling charitable today."

_Later…_

"So, how long have you been holding this back?"

"Ever since the beach trip of summer last year."

"And have you acted on it before?"

"No"

"Does this make you a pedophile?"

"Absolutely not!"

Yusuke slammed his fist on the table before regretting his decision and took the time to rearrange the contents of his bowl. Ryuji snickered as he went back to downing his remaining broth.

Yusuke sighed and turned to Akira.

"I'm sorry I never told any of you. I was afraid that Akira would be furious if he found out."

Akira sat back and downed a glass of water.

"Yusuke, you know I would never be mad at you."

Yusuke's eyes lit up.

"Is that so? Then do I have your permission to date her?"

Akira smiled and nodded.

"I must work to capture her beauty on canvas, then! But how should I start? Oh, perhaps with a nu-"

Yusuke then felt a crushing grip on his shoulder. He turned to see Akira with a pleasant 'Akechi Smile' on his face.

"You aren't thinking of doing what I think you're thinking of doing, right?"

Yusuke gulped and went back to his ramen.

"Or perhaps just a portrait. A fully clothed and proper portrait."

"That's right, Yusuke. Nothing like what you tried to do with Ann in the past."

Ryuji sighed and put down his chopsticks.

"Akira, bro, listen. I know you and Futaba have a sibling relationship going on, but something like that is gonna happen eventually."

"Ryuji if you are implying what I think you're-"

"I don't mean that! What I'm saying is that eventually, those two will feel… intimate. For now, just trust that whatever those two feel about each other, Yusuke would never do anything to hurt her or anything she wouldn't be okay with."

Akira slouched and rested his cheek on his hand.

"I know, but I'm still new to all this. I mean, I've known her for only a year, yet it just feels like I failed at something."

"Congratulations, you finally know how Sae-san feels then," Akechi said as he finished the last of his broth.

Akira shot a glare at the detective before coming up with a retort of his own.

"Oh yeah? Then what about how Haru feels about you?"

Now Akechi was confused.

"What do you mean?"

Ryuji smacked Akira on the back of the head while Yusuke sighed.

"So much for keeping that a secret."

"Well, it was so obvious! How can he not see it?"

"How can I not see what? What are you all talking about?"

Ryuji shook his head.

"You'll find out eventually. For now, just try to look out for the signs."

This only made Akechi more confused, but it gave him food for thought at the very least.

"_How Haru feels… what does he mean by that? The way that she's been acting around me, could it be something that she feels and not something I did?"_

*PIPIPI*

"Hm? Oh, Ann's calling me."

Ryuji picked up his phone and brought it to his ear.

"What's up?... Hm? You wanna meet? Sure. When and where?... Oh, there? I'm cool with that… So tomorrow, right?... Great. Seeya then."

He hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

"What was that about?" Akechi asked.

Ryuji shrugged.

"Nothing really. Ann just wanted to meet up with me tomorrow. Said there was something she wanted to talk about."

Yusuke and Akira locked eyes and turned to their blonde-haired friend to see if he could register what was going on. Ryuji, however, shrugged them aside.

"Look, I'm not as thick-headed as Ace Defective over here, alright? Sorry, but I gotta go make preparations for tomorrow. Later."

Akechi was now even more confused.

"Thick-headed? What does he mean by that?"

* * *

_With the girls…_

Makoto finally let go of Ann, who was struggling against them. Futaba, on the other hand, had finished her task and closed her laptop.

"Congratulations, Panther! I may have just gotten you a boyfriend!"

Ann grabbed Futaba by her shirt and shook her.

"What were you thinking?! That didn't sound like me at all! Oh crap, I'm not mentally prepared for this!"

Makoto sat back down on the bed in Futaba's room. As much as she wanted things to move on between the two blondes of the group, she was against the idea of giving her a time limit. The census, however, was against her, so she decided to play the neutral role and hold down Ann unless she was compliant to make the call herself.

Haru, on the other hand, was smiling as she put away the script for Futaba to read. Sometimes, drastic times called for drastic measures, and Ann second guessing herself was worthy as a drastic time.

Futaba put away her microphone and sat back in her chair.

"You brought this on yourself. If you weren't chickening out, I would have been perfectly fine not doing anything to you."

Ann cuddled into a little ball and tucked herself into a corner while Futaba took a picture to make an emoji out of it.

"And that's another addition to my collection. Now I just need one of Akechi with a stack of pancakes and my collection will be complete!"

"Oh well, enough talk about Ann and Futaba. I think we should direct our gaze elsewhere", Makoto started.

"Ooh! That's right! What about you and Akechi-kun, Haru?" Ann interrupted, springing back surprisingly quick from her embarrassed stupor.

Haru retreated back into her turtleneck in thought.

"I really don't know. I already patched everything up with him, but I just feel awkward around him now… "

"Is it L~OVE?"

"Maybe, but I'm still figuring things out"

The blonde now looked disappointed.

"Not what I was expecting. Huh, now I'm not sure where to go with this."

"Maybe by saying 'for real'?" Futaba suggested.

The redhead immediately got her cheeks pinched as punishment.

"I still haven't forgiven you for this!"

As the two bickered, Makoto sat down next to Haru.

"What was going on through your mind? If this is about how Akechi resembles Akira a bit-"

"Oh no, it's not that", Haru quickly dismissed.

Whatever happened had happened a long time ago. Nobody saw it coming that Akira and Makoto would get together, Haru the least of all. Yes, she was saddened by this immensely, but seeing the two together made her happy as well. They already had this talk and made a silent pact to never let it ruin their friendship.

"I mean, he's someone really special to me. We both have similar backgrounds and we bonded well together. It's just that nowadays, I feel like I want to see him in a different light and spend more time with him."

Makoto nodded in agreement.

"I see what you mean. To be honest, I kind of understand that feeling too."

"Then does that mean-"

"No, it doesn't specifically direct to you being in love with him."

"Oh", Haru said, slightly disappointed.

"Don't worry. It just means that you are curious about your relationship. Just spend more time with him and you'll find out what those feelings you have are all about."

Haru nodded and checked her phone.

"I guess you're right. Should we call it a day now?"

Turning towards Ann and Futaba, Haru could only see what could be described as a cartoonish cloud that sprouted body parts of Ann and Futaba every now and then.

"Maybe we should just let them be for now", Makoto suggested as she picked up her backpack.

Haru followed her out of the hacker's room and walked with her friend to the train station. After splitting up, she went her own way towards her apartment and sighed after closing the door behind her.

"So, I just need to spend more time with him to figure out how I feel, right?"

She took her phone out of her pocket and opened her text stream with Akechi.

"... that should do it!"

_Do you want to spend time together at Leblanc? I just harvested the coffee beans I've been growing and would like to have an outside opinion._

"Mmm, no, Sojiro or Akira would be better suited for that", she said to herself while deleting the message.

_Ann-chan gave me tickets to a movie next week. Want to come?_

Perhaps tone it down a bit? As much as she liked going to the movies, she was afraid that watching a romance movie would set off the wrong image; she was just in the experimental phase after all so she shouldn't try to force it. Besides, she was more into thriller movies anyways.

_A friend gave me tickets to the aquarium yesterday. I tried asking Makoto, but she seems busy with Akira. Would you like to accompany me?_

"There. Friendly and not hinting towards anything romantic. Aaand send!"

After a few minutes, Akechi replied back.

_Akechi: Sure! I could use a little breather from class. Make sure to wear something warm, though, it's the colder season now. See you then._

Somehow, this made Haru seem alleviated and giddy more than usual. She flopped onto her bed with a smile on her face. Looks like she was in the clear for her date!

Wait, date? Who said anything about a date? Did she really see it like that? Haru checked her phone again to see if there was any mention of the word, but there was none.

"Maybe I just feel like it's a date?... with Akechi-kun… "

A flash of red dashed across her face as she buried her head into her pillow. Perhaps there was no need to bond with the detective for her to realize her feelings...

* * *

_**Aaaaaaaaaand we are back! Hey all! Sorry for being late as always, but I can tell you that the transition to self quarantine and online classes was not easy. Add that with writing P:OLP and you have a bunch of delays! Yay! Okay, being completely honest, I'm really sorry for the delays I've had, although this is very common if you followed me in my P:OLP debut. I just want to say that I hope you all are doing alright during this quarantine. Thankfully, everyone I know is healthy and not in any danger at all, so this is already a big upgrade for me since last year. With all the games that released recently, you've probably played them at least once before; I'm talking about P5R and FF7 Remake. I haven't had the time to play them due to my work and school and I don't intend to touch Royal until after I platinum the vanilla game so don't expect any Royal spoilers in here. Anyways, let's all get through this together and go eat some ramen after this is all finished! (I eat at an awesome new ramen place once and quarantine immediately starts the day after. Am I seriously cursed right now?)**_


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